Trending 
The United States has urged the Nigerian government to strengthen security for Christians ahead of and during the Easter holiday, following the deadly Palm Sunday attack in Jos, Plateau State.
The US Principal Advisor for Global Religious Freedom, Mark Walker, appointed by President Donald Trump, called on Nigerian authorities to take immediate action to protect Christian communities.
“We call on the Nigerian government to significantly ramp up security for Christians ahead of and during Easter,” Walker said in a tweet on Thursday.
He acknowledged steps already taken by the Nigerian government under the President Bola Tinubu administration but said, “the targeted killing of Christians, especially on Christian holidays, is unacceptable.”
“We urge the Nigerian leadership to engage, and to do so now.”
We call on the Nigerian government to significantly ramp up security for Christians ahead of and during Easter. We recognize and appreciate the steps the Government of Nigeria has taken to improve security, however the targeted killing of Christians, especially on Christian…
— Principal Advisor Mark Walker (@PA_GRF) April 2, 2026
The warning follows reports of an attack on Sunday in the Anguwan Rukuba community of Jos North Local Government Area, where gunmen reportedly killed more than 20 residents.
Witnesses said the assailants, riding a motorcycle, fired indiscriminately around the Anguwan Rukuba junction, prompting residents to flee in panic.
A US lawmaker, Representative Riley M. Moore, described the attack as “sickening and unacceptable” and warned that Nigeria could face serious consequences in its relationship with the United States if authorities fail to protect Christians.
“If they don’t take this threat seriously and mobilise to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ, blood of these martyrs will be on their hands, and there will be significant consequences for Nigeria’s relationship with the United States,” Moore said in a tweet.
